Two Weeks Left — Private School Approval Updates

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 03/16/2026 10:07 AM PDT

Private School Approval Updates

There are two weeks left for schools to complete their renewing school approval application. If you’ve already submitted your application, you’re good to go and can follow the instructions below to review the status of your submission using the Application Status Tracker.

Haven’t completed your application yet? Applications are due by the end of day, April 1. We’ve provided a few tips below to assist in completing your application.

Application Status

Download the Status Tracker spreadsheet to check the status of your application. Your school’s name will appear in Column F. In Column E, Recommended Action, you’ll find information about whether any unresolved issues are connected to your submission. If this cell reads “Eligible for June 2026 Approval,” your application is complete. Note that approval applications are reviewed in the order received.

Click here to download the most recent Status Tracker (This will automatically download an excel file)

Common Application Issues & Solutions

Incorrect Application Submitted: Renewing schools should submit the 2026-27 Renewing Private School Annual Approval Application. If you applied for renewal and do not see your school listed on the Status Tracker, please double-check that you submitted the correct form by reviewing your PDF copy.

Dummy or Draft Application with no “Next” Button: If you log in and find no “next” button at the bottom of the page, please try a different browser with a cleared cache. If that doesn’t work, email the Private Schools manager to request a link to the proper application.

Incorrect Information on Review PDF: Some schools have noticed that the answers preview displays an error. This is a glitch in the system. Please disregard.

Blank or Incomplete Documents: Ensure all uploaded forms are fully completed. If you inadvertently uploaded a blank or incomplete document, email the corrected version to the Private Schools Manager.

Inspection Documentation: If your school is new, has changed location, or completed renovations in the past year, you must provide documentation of recent health and fire inspections. If inspections are pending, email a written confirmation of your request to the Private Schools Manager, including the scheduled dates and the names of the officials or agencies conducting them.

Missing Application Submission: If your application status is blank in Column B of the spreadsheet, double-check that you clicked “Submit” on all application pages.

Approval Timeline

Wednesdays in March: 12-12:30 PM. Use this link to join our Zoom Q&A Sessions. Zoom Q&A Sessions.

April 1: Deadline to submit renewing private school approval applications.

May 11: Deadline to submit new private school approval applications and additional materials for consideration at the June 25 meeting.

June 25: Board reviews private school applications; complete applications with no deviations may be eligible for approval.

Mid-July: Schools are notified of approval status, and newly approved schools are assigned building codes.

No later than August 1: Heads of School receive an email link to their approval certificate and web badge; a Certificate Lookup Tool is posted on the Private School Approval website.

Note: Per WAC 180-90-130, schools must file their Certificate of Compliance at least 90 days before the start of the school term.

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